Cerise's Story
by MafiaSquirrel
Summary: Cerise is your average, every day half-blood. This is the story of her time, loss, love, secrets, and of course drama at Ever After High. Who will she end up with romantically? Which of her fairy tale parents will she pledge her destiny to? Will she pledge her destiny at all? All of these questions and many more will be answered. RavenxDexter, Cerisex? Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Cerise's Story (Chapter 1): Beginnings, Introductions, Origins, Comencements, Startings, Etc.

**Salutations! I would just like to say that I have written fanfiction before, but this is my first Ever After High story and my first story on this site. If the format seems odd, it's just because I haven't gotten my bearings here yet. It might be kind of trial-and-error, and I apologize for that. This story centers around Cerise, naturally. It mostly follows the Ever After High webisodes, the Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale, and the diaries that come with the dolls. However, I did take some liberties, which you may notice. I hope you like the story! Enjoy!**

**~~~Cerise's::P.O.V. ~~~**

The woods. The only place I can truly be myself. My freakish, half-blood self. I can remove Mom's proverbial red riding hood and hear all the sounds of the forest as they were meant to be heard- with the exceptional auditory perception of the ears I inherited from my dad. You see, my mom was the previous Little Red Riding Hood. She married the villain in her story, the Big Bad Wolf. In this world, that's a bad thing. A very _very_ bad thing.

In this world, every fairy tale is ongoing, the children of the characters taking their parents' places in their respective stories. We're supposed to do this so that every generation - in this world and others - can learn the morals of each story. Don't judge a book by its cover, true love conquers all, naivety is the key to a downfall, etc., etc., you get the picture. (I've read and heard of other worlds where everyone gets to choose their own destiny. That's the _real_ fairy tale.) My mom and dad didn't follow this path laid out for them. They wrote their own Happily Ever After.

As the story goes, my mom was on her way to her grandmother's house with a basket full of food for her. She was stalked by my dad most of her way there. He approached her, asking where she was going, she told him, he suggested she pick some flowers for her grandmother, she decided to do just that, and he went on ahead of her.

On his way to my great-grandmother's house, my father dreaded greatly what was to come next in their story. He'd known my mother since he was a pup and loved her as long as he could remember. He confessed to her at Ever After High, and she told him she felt the same. They exchanged love letters and met secretly in the Enchanted Forest until Legacy Day came and they realized they were doomed and destined never to be together. They resolved to pretend nothing had ever been between them.

Every day, my father regretted that resolution. He wanted nothing more than to marry and make a life with his love. He could see no way to be with her. Unless... they were together in secret. That was it! It wasn't what he wanted - it wasn't what ANYONE wanted - but it was better than allowing the love of his life to be with another.

In that instant, my father decided what he needed to do. Not giving himself time to think about the decision, he burst into my great-grandmother's bedroom. "Mrs. Hood!" He cried urgently. My great-grandmother shrieked, knowing her fate was to be swallowed whole by the Big Bad Wolf and cut out of his stomach. "I will not swallow you!" She looked up at him quizzically. "I am in love with your granddaughter. I would like to marry her. And so I refuse to follow the destiny set out for me by swallowing you. I will write my own destiny."

Shocked, my great-grandmother managed to reply, "You what? You can't do that, can you? I'm not entirely fond of the idea of being swallowed and cut out of your stomach, myself, but you can't just change story!"

"Why not?" my father asked. "True love can do anything."

My great-grandmother believed that more than anyone. She looked into his puppy-dog eyes, and knew he would make good every word. She sighed. "You two might regret this."

"It won't be easy," my father relented. "But I believe it is the right thing to do."

As my mother picked flowers, she wept, for she could not be with her love. She knew she would be expected to get married and produce the next Little Red Riding Hood for the horrendous tradition of this world, but she couldn't bear the thought of marrying anyone other than my father. Thoroughly downtrodden, she finished picking the flowers and continued on to my great-grandmother's house.

She prepared herself for what she would see behind her grandmother's bedroom door, imagining my father dressed as my great-grandmother. The thought normally would've made her laugh, but she could only hold back tears today. She opened the door, keeping her eyes closed. When she opened them, she gasped at what they saw. Her grandmother and her love were both standing there, smiling at her. "Grandmother," she sputtered. "You should be eaten by now."

"Well, that's no way to greet your grandmother!" Her grandmother bellowed. "Not even a 'Good to see you, alive and well.'"

My mother threw her arms around my father's neck, hanging on as if for dear life. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked up at him after a moment. "We're not doing this?" she asked. He shook his head, and she cried tears of relief into his chest.

When the Huntsman came to rescue the current Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother from the Big Bad Wolf, they explained everything to him. After only a moment of hesitation, he promised not to breathe a word of their story to anyone outside their families.

My parents got married in secret, and found a cottage in the woods to call home. A couple of years later, my mom gave birth to me, a half-wolf, half-human, and healthy baby girl. I've hidebound my true lineage - as well as the wolven ears and athletic abilities that came with it - from the world ever since. But, for the most part, my parents lived Happily Ever After.

**~~~Third Person::P.O.V.~~~**  
Cerise heard something stepping on fallen leaves behind her. She turned around to see Hunter Huntsman trying to sneak up on her. "Argh!" he cried out. "Those stupid ears of yours will NEVER let me scare you!"

Cerise laughed. "Hunter, be quiet. Someone will hear you."

"Oh, come on. It's safe. We're alone." He threw his arm around her shoulders, and they continued walking.

The Hoods and the Huntsmans had been close ever since Hunter's father had promised to keep Cerise's parents' secret. As such, Cerise and Hunter grew up together. Hunter had always loved animals, and so had a natural soft spot for Cerise. They had clicked the moment they met, and had been best friends ever since.

"So Legacy Day comes this year," Cerise mentioned, a slight chill in her low, raspy voice. "In a few weeks, we'll sign our lives over to them."

"Who's 'them'?" Hunter asked.

"You know, them! The people of the worlds! Headmaster Grimm! The Storybook of Legends itself! I don't know!" Cerise threw her hands in the air, exasperated.

Hunter laughed. "Right, them!"

"You'll have to kill me," Cerise mused, looking off into the distance. They'd had this discussion many times before.

Hunter stopped them, turning Cerise around to look her dead in the eyes. "I will never kill you. I don't care what anyone tells me, what any story says, I will never hurt you. Okay?" After a moment of silence, he repeated himself: "Okay?" Cerise nodded.

They continued walking after that, Hunter's arm securely around Cerise's shoulders once again. She felt safe there, in his embrace. She nuzzled into his shoulder. He looked down at her and smiled. "You know, I've heard rumors of rebellion this year."

"You're just interested because of Ashlynn," Cerise said, intending to shrug it off. "How are you guys, anyway?" She knew dating Ashlynn made Hunter happy, even if they had to hide the relationship because of their clashing stories. If he was happy, she was happy.

"Three weeks and going strong," Hunter replied with a dreamy smile. "But that's not the point. I'm not just interested for Ashlynn and myself. I'm interested for me, and for you, and for anyone else who doesn't want to - or doesn't even know how to, in your case - follow their destiny." He looked back down at her, being only a head taller. "Things are happening, changing around Ever After High, Cerise. Who knows? Maybe Legacy Day won't be as bad as your nightmares."

They parted ways, promising to meet up the next day after school. They had Grimmnastics and lunch together, but normally stuck to their respective circles of school friends (Cerise with Madeline Hatter, Cedar Wood, and Raven Queen, who had recently learned her secret **[A/N: In the webisode, 'The Cat Who Cried Wolf.]** Hunter with Daring Charming, Dexter Charming, Hopper Croakington, and the rest of the heroes.). As she made her way to Damsels-in-Distress 101, Cerise pondered over what Hunter had said about things changing. She hoped it was true, and she hoped it was for the better.

**So, that's my first chapter. I made up the story about Cerise's parents because I wanted a litle more detail there, and I made Hunter and Cerise Best Friends 'Til The End because it just sort of made sense to me and fit nicely in the story. Let me know if I'm off to a good start, if you please! I'd love any kind of constructive criticism, be it encouraging or discouraging. I plan to continue this story, so you can expect new chapters pretty frequently if you like it. Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Cerise's Story (Chapter 2): A Dream, an Assignment, and a Romance?

**Salutations! I'm not entirely sure how to reply to a review. Actually, I'm not entirely sure you CAN reply to a review. Regardless, I'd like to thank everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and/or reviewed this story. I love getting encouragement and constructive criticism on my writing. I've taken into account everything you guys have said, and you've given me some more inspiration for later chapters. I'd also like to say that I don't think I'll be taking OCs for this story. Thanks for offering, though! Enjoy this second chapter!**

**~~~Third Person::P.O.V.~~~**

Cerise, having pledged to follow in her father's footsteps, was fulfilling her role of the Big Bad Wolf. She had just swallowed her own grandmother whole when she heard a noise. She turned to see Hunter chopping through the bedroom door. She growled at him. He came closer, and her anger turned to fear. She cowered as he lifted his axe, absolute hatred in his eyes. "Hunter, don't do this! Please don't!" She tried to reason with him. He ignored her, his silent glare more heart-wrenching than words could ever be. As his arms lowered to deliver the single and final blow, Cerise let out a scream of sheer terror.

"Cerise!" Hunter shouted her name desperately.

Cerise's eyes shot open. She was drenched in sweat and hyperventilating. "H-hunter?" she gasped between pants.

"It's okay, " he assured, relief washing over him. "It was only a dream. I'm here."

She reached for him, and he enveloped her in a protective embrace. After a few moments, she caught her breath. "It was awful!" she confessed to him. "I was the Big Bad Wolf, and you were killing me. Be-because you _hated_ me!"

He stroked her hair. "That wasn't real. I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

She nodded. "Where's Blondie? How did you get here?" It was too much. She was overwhelmed.

"Blondie's visiting her sick aunt, remember? She'll be back later today," Hunter explained to his rattled friend. "I heard howling from my room, so I came to see if you were all right."

"Thank you," Cerise said, pulling away from him. "You're always there when I need you."

"And always will be," he assured with a grin. This had happened before. Cerise had a problem with nightmares. She had one once a month usually, but they had become more frequent as Legacy Day drew closer. "Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay here?"

"No, no. I'll be okay," Cerise replied. "Besides, what would Ashlynn say?"

"You're just as important to me as Ashlynn," Hunter said firmly.

"Thanks," Cerise said sincerely. "But really, I'll be fine now."

"Are you sure?" Hunter seemed hesitant.

"Yes, totally," Cerise promised. "Now go. Get some sleep."

Hunter followed her instructions, knowing she was right. Cerise _was_ important to him, but Ashlynn wouldn't like it if she found out he'd spent the night in her room. He just hoped she'd been telling the truth about being fine.

Cerise slept through the remainder of the night like a pup. She awoke the next morning well-rested and ready to take on the day. After getting dressed and brushing her slightly canine teeth, she made her way to Damsels in Distress 101. She was about halfway there when she was blinded by some bright, white light. When it dimmed, she saw Daring Charming flashing his dazzling smile at Apple White. As she looked his way, his deep dark blue eyes caught her stormy grey ones. He held her gaze for a split second before she adjusted her hood to hide more of her face, quickly moving to class.

During lunch, Cerise sat down next to Raven at her usual table. She used to sit alone, but Raven had insisted she sit with her friends. That was a couple of weeks ago. She missed the time alone to eat her lunch in peace, but she knew Raven and the others meant well, and they were quite an entertaining bunch.

"So I said, 'If a raven flies too close to the sun, will her wax wings melt 'fore she's really begun?'" Maddie laughed at her own joke, but everyone else just giggled at her ridiculousness. _Must be a Wonderlandian saying or something,_ Cerise thought.

"Maddie, I cannot tell a lie," Cedar Wood began. "And well, none of us understand when you lapse into Riddlish."

"Riddlish?" Cerise questioned, looking curiously at Raven.

"It's the official language of Wonderland," Raven explained.

"And what a mighty, merry, and _mad_ one it is!" Maddie declared proudly.  
The girls couldn't help but laugh with the eccentric daughter of the Mad Hatter.

"So," Raven started when the laughter had died down. "I hear Coach Gingerbreadman has a special assignment for us today."

"Special assignment?" Cedar looked nervous.

"Yeah, Blondie told me he gives all his second-year classes this one specific assignment. She said it's supposed to be really fun."

"How does she know?" Cerise asked.

"She's Blondie," Raven answered, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "She snoops on everyone for her mirror cast show."

"Hones her reporting skills," Cerise mocked, sarcasm dripping off of every word. The girls laughed good-naturedly.

"Okay, Fairy Tales," Coach Gingerbreadman addressed the class. "Tomorrow you're going to go through the most intense experience of your young lives. Your very _wills_ will be tested, along with your strength, agility, drive, and knowledge of foreign environments. Everything you've learned here at Ever After High will come in handy during this assignment. You will spend two days and one night in the Enchanted Forest, with nothing but your survival packs and a partner to aid you. I will split you up into pairs unrelated to your stories, so as to broaden your horizons. Pairs will report to this very spot at o five hundred hours tomorrow."

The students looked around, some more nervously than others. "Pairs are as follows: Hopper Croakington and Briar Beauty, Sparrow Hood and C.A. Cupid, Madeline Hatter and Apple White, Blondie Lockes and Kitty Cheshire, Lizzie Hearts and Cedar Wood..." The coach continued, but Cerise zoned out, picking at a loose thread on her Grimmnastics uniform. Her hers perked up when heard Hunter's name, though. "Hunter Huntsman and Ashlynn Ella, Dexter Charming and Raven Queen, and finally Daring Charming and Cerise Hood." Cerise was taken aback. She hadn't been expecting to be paired with a royal, much less the self-proclaimed 'Hottie of the School'.

The announcement elicited mixed reactions. Briar complained as Hopper tried to snuggle up close to her. Cupid swooned over Sparrow, who kissed her knuckles. Apple laughed nervously as Maddie babbled on in Riddlish. Kitty gave Blondie a sly smile. Hunter and Ashlynn kept glancing at each other and looking away, their faces a deep cherry color. Raven high-fived Dexter, but he missed her hand completely.

Cerise walked over to Daring. "Looks like we'll be partners," she mused.

"Yes, looks like it," Daring replied curtly, keeping his focus on the gold-framed hand mirror in his grasp.

"I know the woods pretty well, so we should be fine," she tried to strike up some kind of conversation.

"Yes, we-" Daring's eyes flicked up to Cerise's, and he lost his train of thought.

"Daring?" Cerise asked after a moment, confused. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, yes," Daring shook his head out of its trance. "I was just saying that with your familiarity with the woods and my princely and heroic skills, we will make an astounding team."

"Great!" Cerise smiled warmly. Daring responded with his own smile, the left corner of his mouth lifting a bit higher than the right.

"That's enough chatter, Fairy Tales!" Coach Gingerbreadman bellowed. "Everyone grab a basket and split into teams for basketball!" A collective groan went up, but the students did as they were told.

**Thank you again for reading! It means the world to me. I'd also really appreciate it if you kept reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

Cerise's Story (Chapter 3): Oddities, Directions, and a Riddle

**Salutations! Here is the third chapter in Cerise's saga. Please enjoy! Also, reviews are always appreciated.**

"Daring!" Apple called from the end of the hallway. Picking up the skirt of her dress, she ran daintily to catch up to him. Threading her arm through his, she continued speaking in her clear, bubbly voice. "How _enchanting_ is this assignment? I mean, I'm bummed I didn't get paired with you or Briar or Ashlynn or someone, but it's great that I'll get to know Maddie! And who knows? Maybe we'll form a bond that comes in handy with matters involving Wonderland. It's never too early to think about good kingdom management, right?"

Apple kept talking, but Daring zoned out, pondering the stormy grey dream he'd had last night. The sound of his name pulled him from his daze. He looked to Apple, who was staring expectantly at him. "I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't quite catch that. What were you saying?"

"I asked who you got paired with for Coach Gingerbreadman's assignment," Apple repeated patiently.

"Oh! I got Cerise," Daring answered, smiling a lopsided smile at the thought. _How strange_, Apple thought. _I've never seen that smile before. It's always been perfectly symmetrical, just like all his features._

"Cerise," she mulled the name over. "Hm... I don't know much about her. She's pretty subdued, don't you think? And how odd that is, considering her story. Her role is pretty good, and she's not a villain. Sure, she's a little naive, but she's no villain. Your thoughts?"

"I've made the same observations, actually," Daring answered, puzzled as well.

"Well, this could be your chance to find out more about her!" Apple concluded enthusiastically. "Maybe you could get her to open up a bit! She seems really sweet."

As Apple's last sentence escaped her lips, the girl in question came into view. When Daring spotted the scarlet red of her hood, he cut Apple off. "Yes, yes of course. I plan to do just that. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

Apple thought it strange that Daring seemed so eager to get somewhere, but nodded all the same. She watched as he went, noting once again the smile on his face. Deciding he was probably just tired or perhaps anxious about the assignment, she brushed it off and turned to go find Maddie.

"Cerise!" Daring called out to her.

Startled, Cerise turned and growled slightly at whoever had called her name. Seeing her partner, she relaxed. "Hey, Daring." She waved.

"Going to the Grimmnasium?" he asked. She nodded, and he fell into step with her. The silence between them was comfortable. Daring couldn't say he missed the string of clear, bubbly chatter.

At five AM on the dot, they entered the Grimmnasium. One minute later, Ashlynn entered in a panic. "Did I make it? Am I on time?" she asked, gasping for breath. Before anyone could answer, her entire outfit turned into rags with a flash. "Every time," she muttered irately, heading to the locker room to change.

"Well," Coach Gingerbreadman started as students finished filing in. "While we wait for Miss Ella to change, I'll give everyone their directions. Hunter, I trust you'll give your partner the information." Hunter nodded affirmatively. "The objective of this assignment is to teach you fairy tales to work together with people you're unfamiliar with. The directions are simple: I will give you a map to a pre-selected location. At that location will be a flag with the Ever After High logo and the number on your map. Your job as a team is to follow that map, spend the night in the location, and bring the flag back to this spot. You are not allowed to bring anything with you except the clothes on your backs and the packs I will provide you with. This means no weapons, no electronics of any kind, no watches, no nothing. Understand?"

A collective "Yes, Coach" went up from the group. Only Blondie complained, reluctant to give up her Mirror Pad.

"Good! Now line up in your teams!" The students did as they were told. Coach Gingerbreadman passed out backpacks adorned with the Ever After High logo to each pair.

Daring and Cerise stepped up, Daring accepting the packs from Coach Gingerbreadman. They moved to the side of the Grimm to inspect the bags' contents. There were sleeping bags in both packs, a small tent in Daring's and a compass, flashlight, small first aid kit, and piece of paper in Cerise's. Daring pulled out the piece of paper, revealing the number seven to be printed on one side and a map on the other.

"That's right in the center of the Forest," Cerise commented, pointing to the X that marked their destination. "It would be fastest to go through the two Ancient Trees, _around_ the patch of guard briars, and across the bridge over the Troubled Waters." She traced the route with her finger. "Takes roughly five hours, but we'll have time to stop and rest before it gets dark."

"Wow, you really do know your stuff," Daring said, impressed. "Spend much time in the woods?"

A light scarlet blush warmed Cerise's cheeks. "Uh yeah, you could say that."

"Then I'll trust your instincts," Daring concluded, folding the map and sliding it into his pocket.

Coach Gingerbreadman showed the students a slide show about edible and non edible plant life in the Enchanted Forest, warned them about dangerous wild animals and their territories, and sent them off into the woods. "Good luck, Fairy Tales!" he called after them as they ventured away from the school. "See you all back here tomorrow at sunset!"

"So," Daring started after he and Cerise had been walking in silence for a while. "Do you always wear that hood?"

"Uh... yeah," Cerise answered. "It's kinda my signature." She didn't much care for this subject. Daring didn't know anything about her lineage, and she'd prefer to keep it that way.

"Interesting," Daring replied. "It-um- it looks good on you." What was this? Why was he stuttering all of a sudden? He was a Charming, and Charmings certainly did not stutter!

"You think so?" Cerise questioned, looking up at him.

"Definitely! It suites you." Daring looked back to her. He smiled his lopsided smile.

She smiled back, her eyes sparkling. "Thanks."

A gust of wind blew past the pair. "Does it seem to be getting colder to you?" Daring asked.

"We're getting close to the trees," Cerise answered, fully focused once again. "Come on." As she led the way, the wind became stronger and stronger. Finally, when Cerise had to hold her hood with both hands to keep it from blowing away and revealing her half-blood nature, they came across two giant trees with an iron gate between them.

"Oh great and wise Ancient Trees," Cerise recited over the now gale force winds "We seek entrance beyond the gate of thee!"

The trees came to life, opening eyes they didn't seem to possess a moment before. "If you wish to enter, you must first give us what _we_ seek," the tree on the left said in a deep, rumbling voice.

"A riddle that puzzles even these wise and Ancient Tees," the tree on the right finished with a slightly higher tone.

Daring stared in awe at the scene before him. How did Cerise know where these trees were? How did she know they were alive? And how did she know just what to sag to them? She really mustn't have been kidding when she told him she'd spent time in the woods!

"Ah, great trees," Cerise continued, a knowing smile on her face. "Riddle me this: why is a raven like a writing desk?"

After thinking a moment, the trees conceded. They answered in unison, "You have passed the test, and you may enter." Slowly and creakily, the gate opened to let Cerise and Daring through. They continued on their path, the iron barrier returning to its original position behind them.

"How did _do_ that?" Daring asked incredulously, looking wide-eyed at his partner.

Cerise laughed. "I read about them in this book I found called _Flora and Fauna_ _of the Enchanted Forest_. Plus I've run into them more than once out here."

Now it was Daring's turn to laugh. "Seems I really lucked out, getting you as a partner." Cerise blushed again as she looked up at him. "What do you do out here, anyway?" Daring was curious why someone would want to spend so much of their free time in the Forest.

Cerise shrugged. "Explore, mostly. I've never really been all that fond of routine. And the Enchanted Forest just always seems to have new places to go, new things to see and experience. It's... well, it's _enchanting_."

Daring nodded. "Well said." Looking around, he could definitely see what she meant. Trees with deep, dark wood and intensely green leaves towered above them, vibrantly colored birds flew overhead, and the occasional lively woodland creature scurried past. Then a thought occurred to the prince. "By the way, there's one thing I just can't figure out."

"What's that?" Cerise cocked her head to the side.

"Why _is_ a raven like a writing desk?"

Cerise grinned. "I haven't the slightest clue."

**Thanks so much for reading! Next chapter, we'll see how some of the other pairs are doing on this assignment. There will probably even be some DexterxRaven and HunterxAshlynn, since I'm dying to write about them, too. Thanks again and I'll update as soon as I can!**


	4. Chapter 4

Cerise's Story (Chapter 4): Blood, a Mountain Lion, and a Revelation

**Salutations! So this chapter starts out with a bit of RavenxDexter. Sorry it took a little longer, but my school just started back and I've been pretty busy with that. I'll definitely keep posting chapters whenever I can, though. Please enjoy!**

Raven and Dexter had been walking in the Enchanted Forest for around ten minutes when Raven finally broke the silence. "Okay, so... where are we?"

"In, um," Dexter started, unsure himself. "In the, um... Enchanted... Forest." He mentally slapped himself. _Duh_, they were in the Enchanted Forest!

Raven laughed. "Right. I meant where are we in respect to the location of our flag?"

"Oh, right." Dexter laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He unrolled the map in his hand, holding it out so that he and his partner could study it. "We're here." He pointed to a path close to the school. "Here's the place we're looking for." He pointed to an X at the far right side of the map.

"So... we could take this path." Raven traced a path that wound around a few different places, but would lead to their destination.

"Sounds good." Dexter nodded. "Oh, but look." He pointed to a more direct path.

"That would cut our time in half!" Raven looked to him, grinning. "Dexter, that's awesome!"

Dexter's face turned red, and he looked down. "Let's, um. Let's go this way, then," he practically murmured.

"Oh," Raven looked taken aback by his sudden distance. "Okay, sure." They started walking again in silence.

"Raven, I-" Dexter was cut off as his foot caught the root of a tree and he was sent tumbling to the ground, landing with a painful _thud_. "Geez." He could hardly get any words through the thick, sticky blood filling his mouth. He coughed and sputtered painfully.

"Dexter!" Raven knelt on the ground. "Dexter, can you hear me?" Alarm permeated her voice.

"Ugh, yeah," the prince groaned.

Raven flipped him over, gasping when she saw his face. "Dexter, your nose! I think it might be broken!"

Dexter felt around his injured nose. "No, no," he concluded. "Just bleeding." He tried to play it off like it was no big deal in front of Raven. After all, he was a Charming! Charmings couldn't act like wimps!

"Are you sure?" Raven couldn't just let this go. If Dexter was seriously hurt and she didn't do everything in her power to help him, she'd never forgive herself. "Let me get the first aid kit." She took it out of her backpack, searching for something of use. Spying disinfectant spray and some gauze, she took them out of the small, white box. "Come here," she commanded, taking his head in one hand and putting the gauze at the base of his nose with the other. She tilted his head back, holding the netted white cloth in place.

Dexter looked down at her concentrated face. She bit her lip a little, and he couldn't help smiling. She looked so cute. "Pinch the bridge of your nose, okay?" He nodded, following her instructions.

After a few moments, the flow of blood stopped. Raven sighed, cleaning off his face with more gauze and the disinfectant spray. "Thank goodness. You really scared me!" she raised her voice, a relieved smile gracing her features. She stood up, helping him to do the same.

"Um thanks, Raven." Dexter rubbed the back of his neck again.

"No problem," she shrugged it off. "You know I'd do anything for you." They looked at each other for a moment. "Well, we'd, um, better get going." It was Raven's turn to blush and stutter.

As they walked, Dexter spotted Raven's hand. It was so close to his own. He could just reach out and entwine their fingers and they would be holding hands. He moved slightly, bumping her fingers with his own. Raven looked at him questioningly. "Uh, sorry," he said, looking down and taking a step away from her.

"Okay, we've passed the Ancient Trees. Now we go around the guard briars," Cerise summed up where she and Daring were in their journey.

"Why do we have to go around?" Daring asked. "Wouldn't it be faster just to go through them?"

Cerise raised an eyebrow at the prince. "You want to go _through_ the briars," she said incredulously.

"Yes!" Daring threw his hands up in the air, angry that she was so sure of herself. As a prince, he had been trained all his life to be chivalrous and respect ladies, but Cerise was taking this too far.

"Okay," Cerise relented, a smirk clear on her face. "Please go right ahead, Your Highness." She gestured to the briars they'd just reached.

Daring stopped, finally looking away from her and to the tall, thorny plant life in front of him. He furrowed his brows in determination. He was _not_ scared. He was a Charming! "Gladly," he said to his partner challengingly. He strode confidently over to the briars. _'I'll just move them out of the way,'_ he thought. Finding a spot devoid of thorns, Daring placed his hands on a vine. He pushed it aside and climbed through the opening. It worked! Smiling triumphantly, he repeated the process.

Half an hour later, Cerise watched in disbelief as Daring continued through the guard briars, now somewhere around halfway into the patch. It was very slow going. She shook her head. Finally, she cupped her hands over her mouth. "Okay Daring, I get it!" she yelled to him. "You've proved your point!"

"Cerise, I will get all the way through these briars so help me!" Daring yelled back. "A prince never does anything halfway!" _'Besides,'_ he thought. _'How else would I even get out of here?'_ He grabbed another vine.

Cerise sighed. She almost wanted to be angry at the stupid arrogance of the prince, but she just found it funny. Hilarious, actually. She watched him, suppressing a laugh, until she heard a noise. A growl. And not a wolf's growl, either. No, Cerise would know that growl anywhere. It came from a large, territorial mountain lion. She turned around to see the cat glaring at her. It looked ready to pounce.

"Daring," she whisper-yelled to him. "Daring, we have to get out of here."

"What? Cerise, I can't hear you!" Daring called. He turned around to face his partner. Seeing the feline, he gasped. He had to get to Cerise! He could never live with himself if she got hurt. He tried getting out of the briars as quickly and silently as possible so as not to alert the cat to his presence.

Cerise stayed still as she watched Daring through her peripheral vision. His backpack got caught in a few of the briars. The ferocious feline growled at her again, and she began to go into fight mode. Turning to the lion, she growled back. She blinked her eyes, turning them from stormy grey to intense gold. The hairs on her neck and ears stood on end, and she barred her sharp teeth. The cat looked ready to run, but spied Daring just before it did. Moving with great speed, the lion pounced for its prey.

The chase was on, the cat mowing down the plants in its path and Cerise following closely behind. The mountain lion was fast, but she was faster. Just before it reached Daring, she tackled it from behind, taking it to the ground. Before it came to its senses, she jumped up and grabbed Daring's hand, pulling him from the briars. The straps of the pack tore completely off, freeing Daring from its grasp.

Cerise ran with the prince, seeing the cat get up and begin to pursue them. They were almost through the briars, now. As they neared the end of the patch, the mountain lion made one more swipe at the pair, effectively scraping Daring's arm and catching Cerise's hood with its claws. Cerise was jerked backward, the metal chain clasp of the red garment cutting off her supply of oxygen. Turning once again to the feline, she let out a low, fierce noise comparable to a monster's roar. She reached up to cut the clasp with a single claw, freeing herself and leaving the cat to cower in her absence.

Cerise continued to run for a moment after she and her partner had successfully made it out of the briars and the reach of the mountain lion. She stopped suddenly, returning to her more human form and gasping for breath. She collapsed onto her knees. "We should be safe," she managed. "The briars guard the mountain lion territory. They won't go any farther into the Forest."

Daring opened his eyes, getting a good look at his partner for the first time since their fight-or-flight senses had kicked in. She looked almost normal, save for her ragged breathing. But wait. What was _that?_ "Cerise," Daring gasped. She turned to him. "Wh-what happened to your ears?"

"My ears?" she asked, beginning to regain some sense of normalcy. She reached up, wondering what he could be talking about. When her hands felt the soft, thick fur of her wolven ears, her eyes went wide.

**Cliff hanger! I really hoped you liked this chapter. I promise I won't keep them in the Enchanted Forest much longer. In fact, I'm planning for them to get out in the next chapter. I'll get to work on that right away. Review, if you please. It'd be very appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Salutations! I said I wanted to get everyone out of the Enchanted Forest in this chapter, and I intended to do so. And so this chapter turned out to be about twice the length of a normal chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

Cerise and Daring just looked at each other for a moment. The tension between the two was palpable. Cerise's mind raced, trying to think of a way to handle the situation. If she told him, who knew what he'd do with the information? Would he go off and tell the rest of the royals and get her whole family in trouble? But how would she explain her ears _without_ telling him? Finally, she gasped. "Daring, your arm!" she yelled, alerting him to the scratch the mountain lion had made in his left arm. There were three neat tears in the sleeve of his letterman jacket, hidden under a thick layer of deep, dark red blood.

"I don't care!" he cried. "I want to know why you're suddenly part wolf!"

"This is serious! You're losing a lot of blood!" she yelled, trying make the prince see reason. He just looked at her, determined to get an answer. Cerise sighed, taking off her backpack and searching inside for their first aid kit. "Not suddenly," she admitted. "I've always been this way."

"No, you haven't!" he claimed incredulously.

"Yes, I have," Cerise answered, as calm as Daring was shocked. Finding the small, white box, she opened it and began looking for something to clean the wound. "I'm half-wolf. My mom, Red Riding Hood, married the Big Bad Wolf." She found Raven's words as good as any she could come up with herself. Pulling some disinfectant spray out of the kit, she applied it to his arm.

Daring allowed her to clean his injury. The solution stung, but he was a Charming, and Charmings more certainly did _not_ bat an eye at something as simple as disinfectant spray. "That's not part of their respective stories, though," he said, not quite believing her. No one ever defied the Storybook of Legends. Ever.

Cerise told the prince the story of her parents, making sure to include all the dramatic and romantic details. He listened, giving his partner his full attention. He was stunned. He couldn't believe anyone would do something like that for another person. He couldn't believe any two people could love each other that much. His own parents had followed their story, and they were fond of each other. But hearing this tale made him wonder if they would've married each other if they'd had any choice in the matter. "They really did that for each other?" Daring asked when she had finished.

"For love," Cerise answered, nodding her head. She tied an ace bandage around his arm, effectively stopping the flow of blood. "You're all set. Can you stand?"

The prince made a valiant effort to put on a brave front, but felt a bit woozy once he finally rose from his seated position. "On second thought, maybe we should just make camp here for the night," she said, glimpsing the dizzy change in his demeanor. "We'll be able to find the flag and make it back to school if we get an early start tomorrow."

"Okay," Daring relented, sitting down once again. "But I lost my backpack in the briars … so we have no tent … and only one sleeping bag."

"So we'll share one," Cerise concluded easily. She saw no problem with this. It was only one night, right?

She unrolled the sleeping bag from her pack. It wasn't quite dark yet, so she tried to start up a conversation with the wounded boy while she gathered various berries and roots for them to eat. "Does it hurt?" she asked dumbly. _Of course _it hurt. His arm had been mauled by a big, bad mountain lion!

"Nah," he answered, shrugging it off. "It's not nearly as bad as the time I broke my leg two summers ago at Dragon's Fire Lake!" Cerise's stormy eyes sparked with interest as she sat down, offering him a red berry that had been on Coach Gingerbreadman's slideshow. He popped it into his mouth before continuing. "Dexter was swinging into the water from this tire swing we'd set up the year before. But when he went back the last time, the rope started to break, and it threw off his concentration. So when the tire swung forward, he jumped off kinda clumsily, so he started heading toward the shallow water near the shore. I ran to go catch him or help him or do _something_, and he fell right on top of me. I broke his fall – I saved him from the rocky shore – but I also broke my leg. Worst pain ever. _Total_ fairy fail."

Cerise laughed a full, rich laugh. Daring smiled his lopsided smile at her. "You know, you have a really nice smile," she told him after a moment.

A blush graced his princely features, despite his best efforts to hold it back. "You think?" he asked.

"Yeah. Doesn't everyone?" she hadn't thought he'd be surprised by the simple compliment.

"Oh yes, of course," Daring replied, regaining himself. "My perfect appearance is envied by all!"

Cerise wasn't satisfied. "You haven't acted nearly as vain today as you usually do," she replied, eying him suspiciously.

"I resent that," Daring replied, narrowing his eyes at the girl. He sighed. "However, I suppose my being out in nature with you and giant, man-eating lions and no mirrors has caused me to be a bit less attentive to my princely good looks."

Cerise's stormy grey eyes studying him, he couldn't help feeling she could read him like an open book. "You know, no one's perfect all the time," she said knowingly.

He sighed again, no longer able to meet those eyes. "Sometimes being a prince – the prince of the school, even – sucks. My dad, he's great. He's a great leader and a great hero and a great father. But he's vain and shallow. He told me once he learned a long time ago that people see the king as a figurehead. They see a pretty boy who saves and marries a beautiful princess. That's it.

"High school's good practice for that kind of life, I guess. Everyone looks at me and sees perfect Apple's perfect true love, with his perfect hair and perfect smile. That's what they want me to be. That's what I have to be."

"Well, what do you _want_ to be?" Cerise asked curiously. She'd never known this side of Daring before, and had never expected to.

"I don't know," Daring confessed. He smiled. "I wish I could be more like Dexter, you know? He's this stuttering, clumsy nerd with no sense of flirtation whatsoever – and believe me, I can do without all that. But he's also the most genuine, pure-hearted person I know. It's like he's just decided to do whatever he wants."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cerise agreed with a nod. She'd never much noticed the younger Charming brother before. "What's his story, anyway? His destiny?"

"That's the thing," Daring replied. "He doesn't know. There's so much unknown there that he can almost be whoever he wants. He doesn't really have anyone to live up to."

"Well, it sounds like you have two options, here. You can either keep living this planned-out life for people who don't know you anyway, or decide not to care what they think," Cerise summed it up. "Not to be rude. I mean, that's how it is for all of us. I know hard it is to be what they expect all the time," Cerise said understandingly.

Daring laughed. "Who's 'them'?" he asked teasingly.

"Geez, I was trying to be understanding!" Cerise cried, throwing her hands up in the air. They laughed. "You sound like Hunter!"

Daring's face suddenly went serious. "Hunter Huntsman?" he asked.

"Um, yeah." Cerise didn't know why she suddenly felt awkward.

"You guys are close?" he pried. WHY was he suddenly so interested in who Cerise was close with?

"He's my best friend," she answered honestly. Awkward feeling or no, she wasn't about to lie about Hunter. "We grew up together. His family knows my family's secret."

"Oh, I see," Daring answered, looking down at the ground. Things had taken a turn for the worse. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air like a sheet of lead.

_'I'd take another fight with the mountain lion over this any day,'_ Cerise thought anxiously. Out loud, she said, "It's getting late. We should get some sleep."

Daring nodded his agreement, standing up to get into the sleeping bag. He felt much better than he had the first time. Cerise stood by politely while he maneuvered himself into the bag. Then she got in herself, turning her body to face away from him. "Good night," she murmured.

"Good night," he muttered, mirroring her sleeping position.

Daring looked through the glass promising to encase his true love. And there she was: Apple White, lying serenely - beautifully - in her coffin. All he had to do was kiss her, and she would awaken and follow him on horseback to their Happily Ever After. Placing his fingers on the glass, he carefully lifted it up and placed it on the ground. Taking one final deep breath, he leaned down and pressed his lips against those of his love. It was perfect, everything he'd known it would be.

When Daring opened his eyes he saw a stormy grey, a warmth he'd never felt before surging through his entire being. He stood back up, taking in his true love's full appearance. But it wasn't Apple he took in. It was Cerise.

Daring's eyes shot open. He lay there, breathing in and out and feeling his heartbeat slow until he heard a long, lonely noise coming from beside him. He turned his head to inspect the source of the sound. Cerise was howling in her sleep, undoubtedly in the middle of a nightmare. And from the looks of it, it was a bad one. The prince began to panic, unsure of how to handle the situation. _'If I wake her now, she could go into shock!'_ he thought. Even with her eyes squeezed shut, Daring could see the rage and pain battling for dominance of her face. "Hunter, no! Please!" she quietly pleaded, her breathing ragged.

Daring had to do something. He couldn't keep watching her in this state. Still at a complete loss for ideas, he let his hand reach out and come to rest on top of Cerise's head. Her howling ceased, and her breathing gradually returned to a slow, restful pace. She moved closer to him in her sleep, placing her hands on his chest and positioning her head in the crook of his neck. Daring was surprised to say the least. But he was also tired and felt a compulsion to protect the girl from whatever was haunting her mind, so he snaked his arm around her waist and fell back into a deep slumber.

Hunter and Ashlynn strolled through the woods, their team flag safely inside of Ashlynn's backpack. "This has been such a great assignment," the princess mused contentedly. "Getting back to nature with my Happily Ever After at my side." She sighed. "I just wish these two perfect days would never end."

"Well, they're not over yet," Hunter replied with a smile, taking his girlfriend's small, dainty hand in his much larger one. "I still get to walk the most beautiful girl ever after back to school."

"Oh, Hunter. And I get to be escorted by the handsomest, kindest, and most heroic guy ever after," she replied with a smile and a deep cherry blush. In the comfortable silence that followed, Ashlynn listened to the forest life around her. A couple of squirrels argued over an acorn that both wanted for a winter stash. A family of rabbits snored peacefully in their den, not yet awake for the day. Just as she was about to comment on what fascinating animals lived in the Enchanted Forest, her ears alerted her to a small cry for help. She scanned the area, her eyes coming to rest on the helpless creature. "Hunter, look!" she whisper-yelled to the boy beside her so as not to frighten he animal. "That little bird! His nest fell out of that tree, and his mother left to get breakfast! We have to help him!"

Ashlynn let go of his hand and started toward the fallen nest, but Hunter placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She looked up at him. He was staring straight ahead, pure determination clear on his face. "I'll handle this," he said firmly, never taking his eyes off of the imaginary fixed point in front of him. He struck a heroic pose, ripping off his shirt and placing one fist on his hip and the other in the air. A fanfare trumpeted from nowhere. Hunter sprang into action, running to the baby bird and the fallen nest. The bird chirped its thanks as he placed the nest back in the nook of a tree branch, adjusting the leaves and twigs to make sure it stayed there. He picked the bird up and gingerly dropped it into its home.

Hunter turned to look down at Ashlynn. "My hero," she swooned, clasping her hands to one side of her neck.

Hunter beamed. He caught sight of the torn shirt lying on the ground and sighed. "I gotta start wearing button-ups or something," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, I don't know," Ashlynn said, striding over to her boyfriend. "I don't really mind this look." She looked to him knowingly. He blushed, leaning down to kiss her. _'Best assignment ever,'_ she thought, smiling into the kiss.

Cerise moaned a little, in a state somewhere between sleep and consciousness. She was comfortable. More comfortable than she had been while sleeping in a long time. Her head rested on something strong - something firm. Wait, wait, wait. she needed an early start this morning. She was _looking_ for something. Groggily, she tried to sit up but found herself trapped, her every movement blocked. She opened her eyes to scan her perimeter. The stormy grey orbs came to rest on Daring sleeping peacefully with his arm wrapped securely around her middle.

Cerise tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but Daring just frowned in his sleep, scrunching his eyebrows together and tightening his hold on her body. She giggled, causing him to stir again. "_Da-ring_," she beckoned in a soft, raspy singsong voice. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked down his nose at her with his lopsided smile. "Good morning." She smiled back.

"Good morning," he replied. Spying his arm, he quickly removed it. "Uh, sorry."

Cerise laughed. "It's fine. I didn't know you get all _cuddly_ when you sleep," she teased with a grin.

"I don't! You were having a nightmare!" he corrected, a fierce blush taking over his face.

Cerise's eyes widened, the smile dropping from her face. "Really?" she asked. "And you comforted me. Thank you." Sincerity permeated her voice and spilled into her features.

Daring nearly trembled under the weight of her thanks. His actions had touched her. "Y-you're welcome. Any time. So, where are we going today?" He was eager to get out of the situation that made him stutter. He seemed to stutter a _lot_ around this girl.

"The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, just past these trees," she answered, pointing to a row of trees northeast of the pair. Daring nodded his understanding. "But first we need to go back and get my hood."

"In that death trap of a briar patch?!" Daring cried incredulously, pointing in the direction of the menacing plant life. "You can't be serious!"

"Well, I can't be _seen_ like this!" Cerise gestured to her big, wolfie ears. "It's too dangerous."

Daring sighed after a moment, reluctantly giving in. "You're right. Let's go." It wasn't a far walk from their makeshift campsite, so the pair made it to the briars in a few short moments.

Spying it near the edge of the patch, Cerise plucked her scarlet hood out of the briars. She draped it over her shoulders, fastened the silver clasp, and pulled the actual hood over her head in a series of fluid motions. Feeling its silky, protective weight on her frame, she realized how much she had missed its presence. "It's perfect," Daring noted, astonished. "Not a single scratch or tear."

"It's magic," Cerise agreed. "It was made of fabric enchanted with the power to regenerate itself. How else do you think it could've survived so many generations of wolf attacks?" She grabbed his hand, leading him away from the briars and to their next destination. On their way, they talked. They talked as if they'd known each other for years, easily and happily. Cerise told stories she'd never been able to tell anyone but Hunter, and Daring detailed the ever-foreign life of a Royal. Neither noticed that their hands were still connected.

"Look, the bridge!" Cerise cried when they finally reached the third and final stop on the journey to their team flag. She took a few steps forward to peer into the water-filled chasm beneath the bridge. "This is my favorite place in the whole Forest." She turned to look at her partner with a smile. He joined her, and they looked into the rapids below. The upset waters twisted and churned and tossed and turned tumultuously. Speaking up a bit, Cerise continued. "Legend states that if you whisper your troubles to the waters, they'll wash them away. It's nice to believe, especially with Legacy Day getting closer by the second." She leaned down to whisper something to the rapids.

Daring thought of the dreams he'd been having of late. Just as he was about to join his partner and whisper his own troubles, Cerise stood up and pointed to a purple piece of fabric across the bridge. "That must be our flag. Come on, let's get it." The pair crossed the ancient-looking stone bridge, which was surprisingly sturdy compared to the water beneath it. Retrieving their flag, they set off back toward Ever After High.

"That was almost suspiciously easy," Daring commented uncertainly.

Cerise shrugged. "The way back is always easier," she replied. "Like traveling uphill and then back downhill."

"Didn't Odysseus take, like, ten years getting back home to Ithaca after the Trojan War? And didn't he also encounter monsters and nymphs and gods and goddesses who were all against him?"

Cerise narrowed her eyes at the prince. "Yes, but Odysseus was an arrogant king who defied the gods and cheated on his wife. He totally had it coming," she answered bitingly. "Killjoy," she muttered under her breath. Daring laughed.

"Well, here we are," Cerise said happily, gesturing to the Grimmnasium.

"Already?" Daring questioned. The walk had been pleasant and quick, the pair talking and teasing and laughing like best friends 'til The End.

"I told you it'd be easy!" Cerise said with a proud smile. They walked into the Grimm together, the sun descending fully into the horizon behind them.

"Daring!" Apple cried as soon as he opened one of the large double-doors, running over to the boy. She threw her arms around his neck, knocking the breath out of him. "We were getting worried. You guys are the last ones here!"

Cerise watched as his every mannerism seemed to shift into prince mode. "Apple, darling, do be careful of the royal neck," he replied, gently pulling her off of him. Cerise's eyes fell to Daring's hands on Apple's waist, and a low growl escaped her lips. Regaining herself after a beat, she played the snarl off as a cough.

"Cerise, you really should get some medicine for that cold before it gets any worse," Apple commented to her with a concerned frown.

"You know, I think I'll do that," Cerise replied, keeping any edge out of her voice. She had no reason to be angry with Apple. She was trying to be_ nice_.

"Cerise!" Hunter waved to her from the other side of the Grimm. She jogged over to him, taking one glance over her shoulder to see Apple guiding Daring over to the rest of Royals. "How was the assignment?" Hunter asked, demanding her attention.

"It was fine," Cerise answered nonchalantly. She grinned slyly. "How was the quality time with _Ashlynn_?"

Hunter sighed, looking off into the distance dreamily. "Absolutely magical."

"You guys are cute." Cerise punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"And then I started falling asleep! Swimming across the _swamp_! But luckily Hopper caught me before I fell in and woke me up. It was a total rush!" Briar finished her story with a flourish. "How did your assignment go, Apple?"

"It went ... well," Apple responded with a polite smile. "Maddie's fairy nice, but if I hear one more riddle, I'll go absolutely _mad_." All the royals laughed with the future queen except Daring, whose mind seemed to be elsewhere. Apple looked to him. His eyes were firmly locked on something in the distance. "Daring?" she questioned.

Daring watched as Cerise chatted with Hunter, laughing hysterically at something the hero had said. He frowned. Hearing his name, he turned his attention back to his established group of friends. "Yes?"

"How was your assignment?" Apple asked, eyes twinkling with interest.

"It was splendid," the prince answered with a lopsided smile.

**They're finally out! I loved the Enchanted Forest, but I was a little tired of writing about it. As far as the next chapter goes, I promise to have it up in the next few days. Thank you so much for reading! Review, if you please.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Game, Advice, and the Library

**Salutations! Welcome to chapter six of "Cerise's Story"! Thank you so much for reading! I would like to say how much every favorite, every follow, and every review means to me. It just makes me jump up and down with a stupid grin on my face every time I read a kind review. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to tell me what you like about the story. And without further ado, please enjoy chapter six!**

Cerise nearly did a spit take, gulping down and choking for a moment on her grape juice instead. After a few coughs and sputters, she wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand. "Wait, wait, wait. So Cedar _knows_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal," Hunter replied, shrugging it off. "Ashlynn and I took care of it."

"You took care of it _for now_," Cerise corrected. "What's gonna happen if people get suspicious and ask her? Obviously you guys aren't too secretive, so it's bound to happen sooner or later. And she has to tell the truth! You can't just stuff her full of peanuts every time someone talks to her!"

"Not every time someone talks to her. Just every time someone asks about _us_." Hunter smiled at the genius of his own plan, lacing his fingers behind his head and leaning his chair back on two legs.

Cerise hit her palm to her forehead. "Hunter! This is _serious_!"

"Relax, Cerise." He tried to put his best friend's mind at ease. "Like I told you before, things are happening. Our relationship might not be such a big deal after Legacy Day. I heard Raven's thinking about not pledging her destiny."

"Like at all? Where did you hear that?" Cerise asked in a low, serious tone, hoping it was a legitimate source.

"Well, Maddie told me. But she said it in Riddlish, so my translation might be a little off," Hunter replied a bit sheepishly. "She said: Raven's tale is evil. Its threat is pure. But if one thing's for certain, it's anything but sure."

"If one thing's for certain, it's anything but sure?" Cerise repeated more to herself than to Hunter. "It _sounds_ like it means she's thinking of not signing, but ... I don't know. I'm still new to Riddlish." She frowned. "What would it mean if she didn't sign, though?"

Hunter shrugged again. "I assume it'll mean that the book will explode in a big, loud display of pyrotechnic power, and everyone will be free to follow their dreams and make write their own destinies," he answered, gesturing wildly.

Cerise smirked. "Best case scenario, of course," she said teasingly.

Hunter nodded. "Best case scenario."

Cerise shook her head. They both knew what would more probably happen if Raven didn't sign the Storybook of Legends on Legacy Day: she would disappear with a _poof_ and her story would cease to exist. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Trying to think about anything else, Cerise allowed her eyes to flick upwards for maybe the sixth or seventh time during that lunch period, smiled slightly, and brought them back down to meet Hunter's. He grinned at her. She stopped mid bite, narrowing her eyes at him. "What?" she asked darkly.

Hunter shook his head. "Nothing, nothing, never mind," he answered with a smug smile.

"_What_? What the hex are you smiling about?" she asked, not finding banter amusing.

"You!" Hunter replied with a chuckle. "It's so obvious that you like him."

"What? Who?" Cerise questioned, taken aback.

"Mr. Royal. Prince Charming. The hottie of the school himself," he hinted.

"Daring?" Hunter nodded exaggeratedly. She laughed. "You're demented. Just because you and Ashlynn have this tragically passionate star-crossed romance doesn't mean everyone else is dying to break the rules and be together."

"Okay, okay." Hunter put his hands up defensively. "But for the record, I think you two would be a great couple. You'd be good for him. And I know you always go for the leader of the pack. Who's more of a leader than _him_?"

Cerise stood up to take her empty lunch tray to the dishwasher line, shaking her head. As she walked, her eyes traveled once again to the prince. She watched him run a hand through his shock of blond hair as he laughed at something Hopper had said. Time seemed to slow down as he looked up, searching for something. When he didn't find whatever he was looking for, he scanned the room until his deep blue eyes latched onto Cerise's stormy grey ones. Daring stared at her pointedly, unapologetically.

Hopper hooked between the two, feeling thoroughly ignored. "Uh ... Dude?" No answer came from his fellow prince. It became a staring contest, both stubborn and neither backing down. "Daring? Daring!" the frog prince finally shouted. Daring jolted, looking away from the cloaked girl.

"Yes! Sorry, Hopper," he replied, shaking his head a few times. "What were you saying?"

"I was telling you how h-h-hah-" Hopper turned into a frog with a _poof_ and fell unto the table.

"Hot Briar is," Daring finished for his friend. "And for the millionth time, no less. You should just ask her out, weird frog idiosyncrasies or no. A hero fears nothing! Also a hero avoids calling a lady 'hot' and grabbing at her. That behavior is generally frowned upon."

"Yes yes, thanks for your overwhelming support as always," an eloquent, amphibian-form Hopper replied sarcastically. "I'm going to go locate a lady to kiss me." He hopped away, leaving Daring to stare once again at Cerise.

Cerise could feel a powerful, royal gaze on her, but she didn't look up. She and Daring had been playing this game for a full week and a half now, and she was becoming wary of it. His eyes bore holes into her. Then her own eyes opened wide, an idea taking form in her mind. She and Hunter sometimes played a game called Assassin. One player had to get the other to look at a circle formed by their forefinger and thumb. If they succeeded, they got to punch the other player. Now she grinned, looking up and forming the circle around her right eye. Daring's brows furrowed in confusion.

Cerise stood up and made her way to his table. Once she got there, she pulled her arm back and allowed her fist to sail through the air and connect with Daring's shoulder with such force that the contact brought involuntary tears to the prince's eyes. She suppressed a giggle, forgetting her own strength. "Geez! What was _that _for?" he asked, rubbing the offended area.

Cerise laughed and walked out of the cafeteria. Daring continued to rub his arm and star at her in awe.

**~~~A Few Days Later~~~**

"Hey, Cerise," Dexter greeted, walking up to the girl after their shared Che-myth-try class.

"What's up, Dexter?" she asked with a smile. She was a bit surprised - Dexter had never sought out contact with her before - but happy to talk to the younger Charming brother.

"Uh, nothing," he began, nervously thumbing the hem of his royal blue jacket. "It's just that I, uh, I was wondering if you had a map." He blushed aggressively, looking anywhere but at her.

Cerise's brows knit together in confusion. "Not on me," she replied. "What do you need it for?"

"I'm, um, I-I'm getting lost ... in your eyes," Dexter finished, eyes locked on his shoes. Practicing a pick-up line on Maddie hadn't been this hard. Hex, even flirting with that _troll_ hadn't been this hard! Why was Cerise so much more intimidating?

Cerise tried her level best not to laugh. She really did. She pressed her lips together, biting the inside of her cheek so hard she could taste blood. Was Dexter _hitting_ on her? Not that she had anything against the prince, but he wasn't exactly her type. Besides, didn't he have a thing for Raven? This whole situation was just a little too suspicious. "Dexter, what's really up?" she asked once she'd composed herself.

Dexter sighed, finally meeting her eyes. "I really want to ask Raven to Briar's party this Friday. But I need to hone my flirting skills before I do, or she'll say no. So I've been practicing."

"First of all, that is ridiculous," Cerise said bluntly, shaking her head with a smile. "Practicing. Who told you to do that?"

"Cupid," he confessed, embarrassed.

"Right," Cerise replied, piecing together what had happened. Cupid's advice wasn't historically the most helpful. "Well, every girl is different. A method of flirting that works on one girl might not work on another. For example, that whole 'lost in your eyes' thing is totally wasted on me. But it could work on any number of other girls. You know, assuming they dream of nothing more than a prince whisking them off their feet with the cheesiest lines in the Book." Dexter looked even more ashamed of himself. He turned to leave the classroom. Cerise put a hand on his shoulder, turning him back to her. "Secondly, Raven won't say no."

The prince lifted his head up. "You really think so?" His sapphire eyes sparkled with hope.

Cerise nodded. "Yeah, you're her friend. I'm sure she'd love to go with you," she continued. "Plus, I've seen the way she looks at you. Be patient, and she might come to like you as much as you like her."

"No way," Dexter replied incredulously, a goofy grin stuck on his face.

"Yes way," Cerise replied seriously. "The Evil Queen ends up married to a Good King, right?"

Dexter's eyes widened as the realization sunk in. "You're right," he whispered. "Thanks Cerise!" He jogged out of the room happily. Cerise smiled, glad to have encouraged him.

Dexter walked down a hallway, brimming with confidence. He should talk to Cerise more often! She was so nice! He thought about what the normally quiet girl had told him. In the story of Snow White, the Evil Queen married a Good King. _'But wait,'_ he thought, his loping stride slowing down. _'That could mean anything. I mean, there are so many princes at this school. Any of them would make a good king - a BETTER king, even, than me. And Raven's the Fairest of Them All. She could have her pick of them!'_

Dexter's shoulders slumped over. He was back at square one. He sighed, sitting down on a bench and looking out at the horizon in front of him. He'd always liked this spot for its incredible view. A voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Mind if I sit?"

He looked up at the voice's owner. "R-Raven," he said, surprised to see the girl he'd been thinking about. "Uh, um, y-you come up here, too?" he questioned as she sat down next to him.

"Best place in the whole school to watch the sunset," she replied with an almost dreamy look. Daring could've sworn the clouds were forming a heart just for them. Raven looked down. "Hey, would you go with me to Briar's party on Friday?"

"What?" Dexter couldn't believe she'd asked what she'd just asked.

"I-I'd rather just go with a friend. Less pressure that way, know what I mean?" He nodded with a grin. She laughed. "Hexcellent," she replied with a wink. Then she got up to leave. "I'll see you Friday."

"Yes!" Dexter couldn't even wait for her to completely disappear from earshot to shout his excitement. He did a few standard goofy dance moves. "I'm going to a par-ty with Raven Queeeen!" he stretched out the last syllable of her name as he bumped into the ledge in front of the bench, falling a full story. He bounced off of a large bush, landing on his feet in front of none other than C. A. Cupid.

"Dex," she greeted, looking up from the book she'd been reading.

"It totally worked!" he cried. Actually it hadn't, since Raven had done the asking and Dexter hadn't used any of the techniques he'd practiced. But he didn't care. He had Raven for a date, and he was happy. He kissed Cupid's cheek in gratitude. "You're the best." Still on could nine, he went to go find his brother and tell him the great news.

**~~~About Two Weeks Later~~~**

Cerise couldn't help herself. Her nose just picked up Daring's scent and her feet followed without her permission! And now she was in the library, watching the prince through a space between two books on a shelf. She leaned in toward him, trying to hear what he was mumbling to himself. _'Just a little closer,'_ she though as she inclined herself.

Daring started, hearing a loud crash accompanying a bookshelf tipping over. In an instant, the book he was holding fell to the ground and his right hand went to a belt loop on his left hip. there was no sheath or sword there, - weapons weren't allowed on school grounds outside of the hero-training arena - but it was an instinct, a reflex. His muscles tensed and his eyes darted around, looking for a threat. He saw a bit of red fabric peeking out from underneath a pile of books from the fallen shelf. "Cerise?" he asked, uncertain.

Cerise groaned in response. Daring felt himself relax in one deep breath. He moved to crouch beside her, and pushed several volumes away in an effort to free her. "What're you doing here?" he questioned when she was sitting upright.

"Can't a girl browse the library stacks without getting the third degree?" she asked jokingly. Daring shook his head with a smile. He stood up, holding our his hand to help her do the same.

Cerise tried to pull her hand out of his once she'd stood, but he tightened his grip. She looked up at the prince, confused. The look on his face emblazoned determination and desire, his indigo eyes absolutely raging. Her heart raced as her own eyes widened with surprise. One of Daring's hands wrapped around her waist, the other coming to rest on the back of her head. They were even stronger than she would've guessed. She was sure her expression mirrored his own as the gap between them began to close.

**So this chapter spans a good few webisodes. Three to be exact, if you count the ending. But I won't get into that, since I don't want to give away what'll happen next. I actually had to rewrite this a couple of times, which is why it took so long to post it. Thanks so much for reading! Review, if you please.**


	7. Chapter 7

Cerise's Story (Chapter 7): Best Friends, Nerves, and Valentines

**Salutations! I was planning on posting the next chapter of the story for Valentine's Day. However, my parents went on an overnight trip, and my notebook containing the only manuscript of that chapter was in my mom's computer bag. So instead, I decided to post this! It's a short, Valentine's-Day- themed oneshot between Daring and Cerise. It takes place in an alternate universe, so it's completely unrelated to the story. Please enjoy!**

**~~~Cerise's::P.O.V.~~~**

"So, are you guys like a _thing_?" my best friend Blondie Lockes asked me, her eyes bright with the question.

"I don't know! I've never dated before. I don't know how this whole thing works!" I answered, throwing my hands in the air.

Blondie crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, do you guys text?"

"Well kinda, I guess," I replied. "He gave me his number a few days ago, and we've texted every day since."

Blondie raised an eyebrow. "Then you're talking!" she squealed. "That's, like, practically dating!"

I sneered. "You're crazy." Blondie may have been a little gossip-hungry, but she was entertaining. We'd been best friends since fourth grade. Man, she was such a dorky little kid! Big blue glasses, frizzy blond hair, big nose, and thin lips that were always chapped. Plus she was real naive and orbited this popular girl, Apple White, like a satellite. One day, Apple got sick of her and so she and a bunch of her little friends ganged up on her. They pushed her to the ground and just laughed at her. So naturally, I was all over the situation. I was like, "Hey, stop being mean! She didn't do anything to you!" And Apple was like, "Yeah-huh she did! She's always around and I don't like her!" Long story short, I kinda cat-fought her. Blondie and I have been best buds ever since.

"Whatever, Cerise. It's _looove_." She swooned and batted her eyelashes. I laughed, hitting her shoulder lightly.

We walked into the computer lab, where study hall took place. Looking around, I noticed a bunch of people who weren't a part of my regular study hall crowd just standing around, looking expectant. Apple (whom I'd become friends with since the fourth grade cat fight incident), Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella, Raven Queen, Hunter Huntsman, Maddie Hatter, Daring Charming, Cedar Wood, and Kitty Cheshire. Of the group, only Ashlynn, Cedar, and Maddie were supposed to be in study hall.

I walked to the back of the room and set my backpack down on a table. Then I joined a conversation between Briar, Ashlynn, and Raven. I was laughing as Briar regaled the gory tale of her snooze fest in math class. Girl was _always_ falling asleep! But then Daring walked over. And get this: He was carrying - wait for it - a red card. With my name on it. _And_ a vase filled with a _dozen red roses_! _And walking straight up to me_.

My face turned red as the jacket I always wore. So, like, _red_ red. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, his face white as snow. He grinned this stupid, shy grin and handed me the flowers and card. Putting the vase on a desk, I opened the card. There was an ice cream cone on it. It said 'I love every delicious moment we share.' Inside it said 'Just a little Valentine note to say I think you're very special and our times together are, too. Happy Valentine's Day, Daring.'

My hands shook as I hugged him. "Thank you," I said. "I love them."

"I'm glad," he replied, still pale. His gaze on me, I wanted absolutely nothing more than to run totally away. And never look back. But I stayed. He glanced at everyone looking at us. "We can, uh, continue this conversation later."

"Okay," I whispered. My voice had betrayed me.

"Bye," he said, taking another look at me before leaving the computer lab.

"Bye." I looked at my friends around me. I couldn't even wait until Daring had completely left to say, "Whaaaat?"

Laughing, they all followed him out into the hallway. All except Blondie, Cedar, Maddie, and Ashlynn, that is. "You guys were just here to watch that happen!" I yelled.

"Yup!" Apple yelled back.

"I told you you guys were practically dating," Blondie said with a wide smile. I hugged my card to my chest. I frowned. _'Daring. Daring's nice. Really nice! We'll be a good match. We will. I like him.'_ I repeated these thoughts over and over to myself. The more I repeated them, the deeper my frown became.

**Okay, I just wanted to clear up a few things. In this oneshot, all of the characters are in a modern day, American high school (because I live in America and don't know how schools and education in other countries work). Cerise is sixteen and in the eleventh grade, and Daring is eighteen and in the twelfth grade. I used very informal language when writing this because it's from Cerise's P.O.V. and this is how I think her way of thinking and talking would be if she was an average teenager. So please forgive me if I broke any grammar rules in trying to preserve the integrity of this amazing character! Also, I left this kind of open-ended, so you can imagine what happened next if you want. Thank you so much for reading! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as my parents get back from their trip.**


	8. Chapter 8

Cerise's Story (Chapter 8): A Whispered Conversation, a Crowd, and Reassurance

**Salutations! I am not getting any sleep tonight. I spent six hours today working on assignments for my history and English classes. Then I decided that enough was enough, and that homework has kept me away from my beloved writing for too long! So I stayed up to get at least this chapter finished and posted. And just to give you a little excuse for why this chapter is so late, here's the process that my chapters go through before getting posted: they get written down by hand in a purple spiral notebook during school (because I don't have a laptop and phones aren't allowed at school), typed into my computer at my house, edited (meaning I rewrite parts until I have what I want. This usually takes anywhere from two to three hours because I'm insane), put into the document manager here on , proofread one last time, and finally posted. I am so sorry that I have taken so long to get this chapter up, but please enjoy!**

Cerise tried to pull her hand out of his, but he tightened his grip. She looked up at the prince, confused. He emblazoned determination and desire, his indigo eyes raging. Her heart raced. One of Daring's hands wrapped around her waist, the other coming to rest on the back of her head. He was stronger than she would've guessed. She was sure her expression mirrored his own as the gap between them began to close. Closer, closer.

As their noses became separated by mere centimeters, a noise came from just outside the library door.

In a split second, Daring and Cerise were hidden behind the nearest bookshelf. Recognizing the fall of black leather wedges with silver chain straps, Cerise peeked her head out from behind the wooden barrier.

"Maddie, what are we doing in the library?" Raven asked, anxious and confused.

The eccentric, tea-loving girl giggled. "Just watch. I think the Vault of Lost Tales can help you." She knocked a series of knocks on a locked door, extended her arms out to her sides, and closed her eyes. The door pulled Maddie and a surprised Raven into some mysterious room.

As soon as the pair had fully disappeared from view, Daring stepped out from behind the bookshelf. "The Vault of Lost Tales?" he questioned, examining the door they'd gone through. He looked to Cerise. She shrugged. "Well whatever it is, it must have something to do with this desire of Raven's to rebel that Apple's been telling me all about." He pressed his ear to the wall.

"What are you doing?" Cerise asked him, arms crossed.

Daring put a finger to his lips to silence her. "Trying to hear what they're saying," he answered. After a moment, he shook his head. "Nothing."

Cerise lay herself down on the ground wordlessly, removing her hood so that her ear could come into contact with the floor. She picked up her friends' voices easily, her curiosity outweighing her instinct to give them their privacy. "What's happening?" Daring asked in a harsh whisper.

She cringed. It was her turn to put a finger to her lips. She listened. "Something about friends, together and alone," she answered finally, furrowing her brows. "There's some guy in there that I don't know. Raven's asking something about what'll happen if she doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends-" Daring gasped. "And… I've got nothing. I don't understand… Wait! Maddie just said that if she doesn't sign, her story will continue!" She whisper-yelled the news in a rush, adrenaline beginning to coarse through her veins. Continue? _'Does that mean that if _I _don't sign, _my_ story will continue?'_ Cerise couldn't hear any more of the conversation. She couldn't hear Daring, either.

"Cerise!" Daring almost shouted. "We should go! They'll probably be back any minute!"

"Huh?" Cerise asked, shaking her head.

Daring grabbed her by the hand. "We have to _go_." He pulled her out of the library before they were discovered.

The school bell rang, signaling the beginning of everyone's next class. In the flood of students that entered the hallway, Daring lost Cerise. His eyes scanned around for hers until he felt something bump into him from behind, knocking his breath out of him. "_Oof_. Sorry!" Dexter apologized.

Daring turned around to face his brother. A smile appeared on his face, and he laughed good-naturedly. "Dex! That's all right. Let's get to crownculous." He clapped a hand on the clumsy boy's shoulder and they walked to class together.

Cedar sat down at a table in the back of the story hall room, pulling out her homework for Professor Nimble's class. She was supposed to write a poem about someone she admired. But who to write about? Her father? No, he was kind of dishonest sometimes. Maddie? No, she was fun but she was crazy! Cedar laughed to herself, thinking about the kooky girl. "Oh, I've got it." she said to herself. "Raven." Raven would be a hexellent choice! She was independent and kind and fun and-

Cedar's thoughts were interrupted by a loud groan coming from the front of the room. She straightened her back and tilted her head up so that she could see who was so frustrated. She saw Blondie glaring at the computer screen in front of her. After a minute-long staring contest with the monitor, she slammed her face down onto the keyboard with a _thud_. Cedar cringed. She kept watching to see if Blondie would be okay.

Just as she was about to get up and leave, Cedar saw someone sit down at the computer next to Blondie's. Cerise. Cerise typed away on the keyboard. Keeping her eyes on the screen, she asked, "So… how's it going there, Blondie?" Blondie didn't answer. "Good, good. Things are going great for me, too. Thanks for asking." Sarcasm dripped from her voice, but her expression betrayed no emotion.

Blondie turned her head slowly to glare in Cerise's general direction. "What are you working on?" Cerise asked, looking down at her.

Blondie sighed, but sat up straight. "It's nothing. Just this ancestry website."

Cerise leaned over to look at the other girl's monitor. She nodded her head. "How come you're looking up your lineage?" she questioned further.

"No reason," Blondie replied somewhat shortly. Cerise nodded, and went back to her own computer to continue working. Blondie opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again. "I-it's for Apple." She stumbled with her words. "I mean, I want to show her my lineage. To prove that I'm a royal."

'_Cerise didn't ask,'_ Cedar noted.

Cerise took her focus away from her computer to look at Blondie. "You want to prove you're a royal?" she questioned. Blondie nodded. "Why?"

Blondie's shoulders slumped. "I want her to see me for who I am: someone worthy to be her friend," she confessed. "Like Briar or Ashlynn."

"You think you have to prove that to her?" Cerise asked.

"Well… no…" Blondie didn't sound sure.

"You guys seem close," Cerise noted.

"We are!" the other girl quickly defended. "We hang out all the time! We go shopping and she asks for my advice when she wants something to be just right and we pass notes in class sometimes and…" She trailed off.

Cerise smiled at her knowingly. "You're already her friend. You don't need to prove your worth. Friends are accepting of each other. They don't judge each other. Especially not over something as petty as _lineage_." Blondie smiled back sheepishly. "And Briar and Ashlynn are your friends, too. No need to compare yourself to them - it's only hurting you."

Blondie nodded. "Thanks, Cerise." She cocked her head to the side. "How did you know all that?"

Cerise shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I've seen you guys." Blondie logged off of her computer, hugged Cerise tightly for a moment, and then excitedly jogged off to find Apple, Briar, and Ashlynn. Cerise returned to her work, opening her mouth wide to yawn.

Cedar slumped in her seat, rubbing away the ache from craning her neck for such a long time. Her eyes dropped to the notebook in front of her, where she'd written Raven's name. She put her pen to the paper to resume writing her poem, and then stopped herself. "Wait a splinter." She smiled to herself, crossing out Raven's name and writing Cerise's under it.

**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it. Favorite, follow, and review, if you please.**


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